With the global economy growing more and more each day, transportation and logistics are becoming increasingly important. It is the glue that holds the supply chain together and keeps operations flowing effectively and efficiently. Respectively, entrusting the logistics operations of your company to a third party is a decision that should be handled sternly and with great consideration. Choosing a 3PL solely based upon the lowest quote will save you money on the front end, but other factors should be considered to ensure that your 3PL of choice is not the bottleneck of your operation and costing you money and efficiency in the grand scheme of things. Some of those factors are as follows:


The list of 3PLs to choose from is fairly extensive, and while many may seem to meet a given set of criteria, the only way to confirm the quality of service is through reviews and testimonials from trusted sources. What other companies have partnered with this one? How was their experience? What challenges were they met with in their partnership? How quickly did they resolve these challenges?

These are the questions that will help to determine the credibility of the 3PL at question. If other notable companies won’t trust them with their logistic solutions, then why should you chance it?

Customer Service

In any aspect of business, good customer service can be overlooked until bad customer service becomes apparent. This can be attributed to the fact that many do not know to adequately measure good customer service. Your 3PL partner should strive to establish a relationship with you company. This allows them to know more about your company’s needs and how they can better satisfy them. They should reach out to inquire if they can service you further than your expressed needs and do so with a genuine, cheerful attitude.

Sense of Urgency

How quickly does your 3PL company respond to your needs? Logistics operation details are seldom constant and your 3PL needs to be able to adjust accordingly. Whether it is modifications in demand, scheduling, or transportation modes, your 3PL should be able to move expeditiously to accommodate all changes.

A reliable 3PL partner keeps all communication channels open which allows you to convey all of your needs. The time and money you will save with this open communication exemplifies why 3PL choice is extremely imperative.

Altogether, a good 3PL choice is determined my many qualities. All organizations are different, with unique needs and your 3PL should be able to cater to those accordingly, however, these factors should be nonnegotiable when selecting the perfect 3PL